Oh, No.... Gee, the new issue actually made it out! Did you ever doubt it would make it? (Yes, I know the symbols that everyone uses to grin but sorry, I don't grin sideways and like my way better!)

It has been a difficult issue to get finished. There were medical problems within the family I had to deal with then the dreaded...computer gone mad and losing information. Computers are great but when they decided to not let you access files for one reason or another they can become a great challenge to deal with but I knew that one way or another I would find a way to break in and I did. I only actually only lost a few files, which probably are not actually lost just not really found yet.

I also during this time became a grandmother! (Oh, No!) Meet Logan Edward Beck. I never thought I would enjoy being a grandmother but I do! All my friends could not wait to tease me and call me Granny but well, when I enjoyed being called Granny it rather popped their bubble of making fun of me!

Having a grandson really makes you stop and think about a lot of things. At first I was very sentimental. I started thinking back to when I was little and the memories I had of my Grandmother. I never meet my Grandfather that I remember. I remember vividly her house and the toys she had for the grandkids. I remember her huge rose garden. I remember the stories my Grandmother told of our ancestors coming over from England. We still have family there; I meet an Aunt that lives in England last year.

I thought about how little I really know about my family and their lives. It seems after you grow up and get married and have kids you see less of your family and you really don't know much about what they are doing or not doing. Then my mother died and with her being the main contact with the family news I lost even more knowledge of what was going on. The holidays are just not enough time to hear everything.

It made me wonder what stories I am going to tell Logan as he is growing up.

I thought my days of worrying about kids were up. Mine are of legal age even though they both still live at home. I do find that having a grandson really does make me worry yet but it will when he starts school. When my son graduated last year I was so happy to not have anyone in school to worry about. Now, I do have Logan's mother (Iva) to worry about she does have her senior year to finish. I will then have Logan to worry about when he gets older.

I never have been one to blame the music industry, or movies, or games or any of the things that get blamed for the drastic actions of youth. I do admit they do affect the youth of this world but it is still not their fault it is the fault of the parents.

My kids were never allowed to watch MTV even back then when it was not full of all the junk it is now. I censored what movies they watched. If they saw or did something at someone else house that I would not allow here we talked about it. Once they started buying CD I did not censor them but they both had a good background of parental teachings of what was right and wrong.

I see so many parents that do not pay attention to what their kids are doing. I see so many parents not keeping track of where their kids are. I see parents denying that their kids could do any wrong.

People really underestimate what their kids pick up from them. They think because they are babies or under 5 or under 10 they will not realize what is going on. They tend do things around then that they should not or they let them watch or see things that they should not. They have proven that babies hear what is going on while still in the womb.

I also find it interesting all the young children 5 and under who are outside playing and there is not an adult of any kind around to be seen. I still see children left in cars while the parent runs into a store. Is it all really worth the risk of your child being kidnapped?

I have yet been able to understand a parent who leaves a child in a car while they go to work or out to party. How could you honestly do that? I know I was an over protective parent is some ways but what runs through a parents mind when they leave a child alone for that long? What would ever cause them to do it?

Being a parent is not easy. I made my mistakes; I was not and never will be perfect.

If you have kids, no matter what age, pay attention to them. Pay attention to changes or signs of problems or stress that seems to overwhelm them. Pay attention to whom they have as friends, where they go and what they do. You may be the best parent in the world but if you do not listen or pay attention to what they are doing or saying you could end up someday asking....how could my child ever do that? I am sorry but, in my opinion, the bottom line in the current problems with the children either killing themselves or killing others is a parental problem. The bottom line is, no one is paying attention!

I know life is hectic, mine sure is! I also know it is important to find balance in your life. You need a time for work, a time for yourself and time for your family and friends. It can be hard but without finding a way to balance all of it you either end up sick, snapping or dead.

Take care,

Lynn Beck

LBeck99703@aol.com
Home page: LBeckWorld homepages